Angela Paxton ad asks Republicans not to focus on just one 'individual’ on the team
Angela Paxton tells voters not to focus on 'one individual'
Political ads are ramping up as we get closer to election day. One ad in particular is getting a lot of attention. Texas Sen. Angela Paxton is speaking out in support of voting for the whole Republican ticket in the election. In the ad, she doesn't mention her estranged husband, Ken Paxton, by name. Instead, she tells voters not to focus on "one individual" on the team and to vote in every Republican on the ballot.
DALLAS - Political ads are ramping up as the Nov. 3 midterm election nears. And one ad that aired during Sunday’s Cowboys game has been getting a lot of attention.
Angela Paxton Ad
What we know:
Texas Senator Angela Paxton released an ad on Sunday in support of her estranged husband in the race for United States Senator. She filed for divorce last year citing adultery.
In the new ad, she doesn’t mention her estranged husband, Ken Paxton, by name. Instead, she tells voters not to focus on one "individual" on the team and to vote for every Republican on the ballot.
What they're saying:
FOX 4 talked to Southern Methodist University political science professor Matthew Wilson about the optics of the ad and whether it will change the minds of voters who are on the fence.
"I think pretty clear the ad is targeting that segment of voters who say they intend to vote for Greg Abbott and the rest of the Republican ticket but have reservations about voting for Ken Paxton," he said. "And it’s pretty clear that Paxton has consistently been running at least a few points behind other Republicans on the ticket. And so I think this message is to some of those moderate to moderate conservative Cornyn supporters or typical Republicans who just have reservations about Ken Paxton."
Wilson believes Angela Paxton is trying to remind Republicans that personal opinions about her ex don’t matter as much as the overall Republican values.
The other side:
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico responded by saying that "asking Texans to close their eyes and vote for a political party instead of the best person for the job is exactly what’s wrong with today’s politics."
"People are tired of being divided into teams. They’re tired of politicians who serve party bosses and mega donors instead of their constituents," he continued.
Big picture view:
The ad also had people outside of Texas talking.
The PAC who paid for it and the Paxton campaign bought regional TV time. So, football fans in places like Philadelphia and Tampa Bay were also forced to sit through it.
Many shared their frustration and confusion on social media.
The Source: The information in this story comes from Angela Paxton's political ad, an interview with SMU political science professor Matthew Wilson, comments on social media, and past news coverage.